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Kentucky Wildcats
File:Uk logo preston ursini.svg File:Kentucky Football.png
First season 1881
Athletic director [[|Mitch Barnhart]]
Head coach Joker Phillips
Home stadium Commonwealth Stadium (Kentucky)
Stadium capacity 67,606
Stadium surface Bermuda Grass
Location Lexington, Kentucky
Conference SEC (1932–present)
Division SEC Eastern Division (1992–present)
All-time record 562–552–44
Postseason bowl record 8–6–0
Claimed national titles 0 (1950)[1]
Conference titles 2
Consensus All-Americans 10[2]
Current uniform
File:SEC-Uniform-UK.png
Colors Blue and White            
Fight song On, On, U of K, Kentucky Fight
Rivals Tennessee Volunteers, Louisville Cardinals, South Carolina Gamecocks

The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.

History[]

For year-by-year results, see List of Kentucky Wildcats football seasons.

Paul "Bear" Bryant Era As a member of the football-heavy SEC, they compete against many of the top college football programs in the nation. They play at Commonwealth Stadium, which replaced Stoll Field in 1973. Paul "Bear" Bryant was Kentucky's head football coach for eight seasons.

Under Bryant the Wildcats won the 1947 Great Lakes Bowl, lost the 1950 Orange Bowl, won the 1951 Sugar Bowl and the 1952 Cotton Bowl Classic. In final AP polls, the Wildcats were ranked #11 in 1949, #7 in 1950, #15 in 1951, #20 in 1952 and #16 in 1953. The final 1950 poll was taken prior to the bowl games; Kentucky then defeated undefeated and #1 ranked Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, ending the Sooners 31 game winning streak. The NCAA does not recognized Kentucky as their 1950 co-national champion in football after commissioning Jeff Sagarin to apply his rankings to seasons before the advent of the Bowl Coalition.

Fran Curci Era The 1976 Wildcats claimed a share of the Southeastern Conference championship under coach Fran Curci and won the Peach Bowl, finishing #18 in the final AP poll. The 1977 Kentucky team went 10–1 and was undefeated in SEC play but, despite finishing the season ranked #6 in the AP poll, did not play in a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions. Kentucky finished at #6 and Penn State at #5 despite the fact that Kentucky defeated Penn State at Penn State during the regular season.

Jerry Claiborne Era Coach Jerry Claiborne led the Wildcats to the 1983 Hall of Fame Bowl. Kentucky returned to the 1984 Hall of Fame Bowl and defeated a Wisconsin team ranked #20 in the polls to finish the season with a 9–3 record and a #19 ranking in the final AP and UPI polls. The E.J. Nutter Training Facility was built in 1987.[3]

Bill Curry Era The Wildcats played in the 1993 Peach Bowl under coach Bill Curry.

Hal Mumme Era Coach Hal Mumme led the Wildcats to the 1998 Outback Bowl and the 1999 Music City Bowl but the program was hit with severe sanctions for infractions during Mumme's tenure.

Guy Morriss Era Under coach Guy Morriss the Wildcats posted a 7–5 record in 2002 but were not eligible for postseason play due to NCAA sanctions. The most significant event of that season came in a loss to LSU. (See: Bluegrass Miracle)

Rich Brooks Era The team's next head coach was Rich Brooks, who led the team out of the probationary years to an 8–5 regular season record in 2006, including a memorable upset over the defending SEC champion Georgia, snapping a nine-game losing streak to the Bulldogs. Brooks also led the football team to its first bowl game since 1999 and its first bowl game victory since 1984, as Kentucky defeated the Clemson University Tigers 28–20 in the Music City Bowl. [2] The Wildcats were ranked 8th in the nation before a loss to South Carolina on October 4. After the loss to South Carolina, Kentucky bounced back on October 13 to defeat #1 LSU in a historic triple overtime game.

Brooks took Kentucky to four consecutive bowl games, winning the first three. The 2007 Kentucky Wildcats football defeated the Florida State Seminoles 35–28 in the 2007 Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee, on December 31, 2007. Quarterback Andre' Woodson was named the Music City Bowl MVP for the second year in a row. In 2008 the Wildcats opted to go to the Liberty Bowl instead of the Music City Bowl and defeated Conference USA champion East Carolina 25-19. In 2009, Brooks and Kentucky returned to the Music City Bowl, losing in a rematch to Clemson 21-13.

Joker Phillips Era Former Wildcat wide receiver and long time assistant coach and associate head coach Joker Phillips was formally named head coach January, 6, 2010 after Brooks' retirement. [3] Kentucky started off strong under Phillips with a win on the road against arch rival Louisville. The 2010 squad snapped a long standing losing streak to South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier by defeating the Gamecocks at Commonwealth Stadium. However, they dropped games to both Ole Miss and Mississippi State, lost to a Florida team on a down year and once again failed to beat its other arch rival Tennessee, having lost 26 in a row to the Vols, the longest losing streak by one team to another in college football.

Bowl games[]

UK has played in 15 bowl games, compiling a record of 8-7. Note that in the table below, the year references the season, and not the actual date the game was played.

Season Bowl Game Winner Loser Record
1947 Great Lakes Bowl UK 24 Villanova 14 1-0
1949 Orange Bowl Santa Clara (CA) 21 UK 13 1-1
1950 Sugar Bowl UK 13 Oklahoma 7 2-1
1951 Cotton Bowl Classic UK 20 TCU 7 3-1
1976 Peach Bowl UK 21 North Carolina 0 4-1
1983 Hall of Fame Classic Bowl West Virginia 20 UK 16 4-2
1984 Hall of Fame Classic Bowl UK 20 Wisconsin 19 5-2
1993 Peach Bowl Clemson 14 UK 13 5-3
1998 Outback Bowl Penn State 26 UK 14 5-4
1999 Music City Bowl Syracuse 20 UK 13 5-5
2006 Music City Bowl UK 28 Clemson 20 6-5
2007 Music City Bowl UK 35 Florida State 28 7-5
2008 Liberty Bowl UK 25 East Carolina 19 8-5
2009 Music City Bowl Clemson 21 UK 13 8-6
2010 BBVA Compass Bowl Pittsburgh 27 UK 10 8-7
Totals 15 8-7

Current Coaching Staff[]

Name Position
Joker Phillips Head Coach
Randy Sanders Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
Steve Brown Co-Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Coach
Rick Minter Co-Defensive Coordinator
Greg Nord Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach
Chuck Smith Recruiting Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
Steve Pardue Running Backs Coach
Tee Martin Wide Receivers Coach/Passing Game Coordinator
Mike Summers Offensive Line Coach
David Turner Defensive Line Coach

Championships[]

National championships[]

The NCAA commissioned Jeff Sagarin to apply his methodology to season ending ratings in order to recognize national champions in football since for most of its history there were no post-bowl final rankings. The NCAA does not officially recognizes Kentucky for one of those championships; 1950. Kentucky finished 7th in both the AP and the Coaches poll duing their "national championship" season.[4] (The NCAA officially changed the "I-A" designation to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2006.) K

Year Coach Selector Record Bowl Result
1950 Paul "Bear" Bryant Sagarin 10-1 Sugar Bowl Kentucky 13, Oklahoma 7
Total national championships: 0

Southeastern Conference championships[]

Year Coach Record
1950 Paul "Bear" Bryant 11-1-0
1976 Fran Curci 9-3-0
Conference Titles: 2
  • Kentucky also finished the 1977 season with a 10-1 record (6-0 SEC), but was subsequently stripped of the conference title for recruiting violations.

All-Americans[]

Player Position Year Unanimous Consensus Selectors
Clyde Johnson T 1942 No No AP
Bob Gain T 1949 No No All-Players, NY Sun, NEA
Bob Gain T 1950 Yes Yes AP, UPI, INS, Camp, NEA, CP, FWAA-Look, AAB, FD, NYNews
Babe Parilli QB 1950 Yes Yes AP, INS, Camp, Colliers, NY News, Sporting News, AA
Babe Parilli QB 1951 Yes Yes UP, INS, Camp, NEA, CP, AAB, NY News, All-Player
Doug Moseley C 1951 No No AP, FWAA-Look
Steve Meilinger DE 1952 No No AP, NEA, All-Player
Steve Meilinger DE 1953 No No NEA, Colliers, AAB
Ray Correll OG 1953 No No FWAA-Look, Chicago Tribun
Howard Schnellenberger DE 1955 No Yes AP
Lou Michaels OT 1956 No Yes UPI, NA, Camp, Colliers,NY News
Lou Michaels OT 1957 No Yes AP, NEA, Camp, FWAA-Look, Coaches, NY News, Sporting News
Irv Goode C 1961 No No Time
Herschel Turner T 1963 No No Time
Sam Ball T 1965 No Yes UPI, NEA, Camp, FWAA-Look, Coaches, Time, Sporting New
Rodger Bird HB 1965 No No Time, NBC
Rick Norton QB 1965 No No Time, NBC
Elmore Stephens TE 1974 No No Time
Rick Nuzum C 1974 No No NEA
Warrant Bryant T 1976 No No Camp, Coaches
Art Still DE 1977 No Yes AP, UPI, NEA, Coaches, FWAA, Camp, Sporting News, Football News
Mike Pfeiffer T 1989 No No Football News, Mizlou
Tim Couch QB 1998 No No Camp, FWAA, AAF
James Whalen TE 1999 No Yes AP, Camp, FWAA, AAFF, CNN/SI, CBS SportsLine
Derek Abney KR 2002 Yes Yes (AP, FWAA, Camp, Sporting News, ESPN, CBS SportsLine, CNN/SI, College Football News
Glenn Pakulak P 2002 No No CBS SportsLine
Randall Cobb AP 2010 No No AP

First Team All-SEC[]

Year Player Position
1983 Duece Howerton Running Back
1993 Marty Moore Linebacker
1994 Melvin Johnson Free Safety
1995 Moe Williams Half Back
1997 John Schlarman Offensive Guard
1998 Kris Comstock Offensive Guard
1998 Tim Couch Quarterback
1998 Craig Yeast Wide Receiver
1999 Andy Smith Punter
1999 Jeff Snedegar Linebacker
1999 James Whalen Tight End
2000 Derek Smith Tight End
2000 Omar Smith Offensive Tackle
2001 Derek Abney Kick Returner
2001 Dennis Johnson Defensive End
2001 Glenn Pakulak Punter
2002 Derek Abney Kick Returner
2002 Antonio Hall Offensive Tackle
2002 Glenn Pakulak Punter
2002 Artose Pinner Running Back
2003 Derek Abney Kick Returner
2003 Antonio Hall Offensive Tackle
2005 Rafael Little All-Purpose
2006 Keenan Burton All-Purpose
2006 Jacob Tamme Tight End
2006 Wesley Woodyard Linebacker
2007 Jacob Tamme Tight End
2007 Wesley Woodyard Linebacker
2008 Micah Johnson Linebacker
2008 Trevard Lindley Defensive Back
2008 Tim Masthay Punter
2009 Randall Cobb All-Purpose
2010 Randall Cobb All-Purpose
2010 Danny Trevathan Linebacker

Players currently in the NFL[]

Position Name Height Weight (lbs.) Hometown Draft Year NFL Team
WR Randall Cobb 5'11" 190 Alcoa, TN 2011 Green Bay Packers
FB John Conner 5'11" 246 West Chester, OH 2010 New York Jets
WR Steve Johnson 6'3" 210 San Francisco, CA 2008 Buffalo Bills
DB Trevard Lindley 6'0" 179 Hiram, GA 2010 Philadelphia Eagles
DT Ricky Lumpkin 6'4" 306 Louisville, KY 2011 Arizona Cardinals
K/P Tim Masthay 6'2" 198 Murray, KY 2009 Green Bay Packers
WR Chris Matthews 6'5" 220 Los Angeles, CA 2011 Cleveland Browns
P Glenn Pakulak 6'3" 220 Pontiac, MI 2003 Oakland Raiders
DT Corey Peters 6'3" 295 Louisville, KY 2010 Atlanta Falcons
DT Myron Pryor 6'0" 320 Louisville, KY 2009 New England Patriots
RB Alfonso Smith 6'0" 210 Louisville, KY 2010 Arizona Cardinals
WR Jacob Tamme 6'4" 220 Danville, KY 2008 Indianapolis Colts
LB Wesley Woodyard 6'1" 230 LaGrange, GA 2008 Denver Broncos
OT Garry Williams 6'3" 296 Louisville, KY 2008 Carolina Panthers

Hall of famers[]

Pro[]

Inductee Position(s) Class Team(s), Years
George Blanda Quarterback
Placekicker
1981 Chicago Bears, 1949, 1950-58
Baltimore Colts, 1950
Houston Oilers, 1960-66
Oakland Raiders, 1967–75

College[]

Inductee Position(s) Class Year(s)
Paul "Bear" Bryant Head Coach 1986 1946-53
Jerry Claiborne Head Coach 1999 1982-89
Bob Gain Guard
Tackle
1980 1947–1950
Lou Michaels Tackle 1992 1955-57
Babe Parilli Quarterback 1982 1949-51

Individual award winners[]

Outland Trophy[]

University of Kentucky 100th Anniversary Team[]

Chosen in 1990 by Kentucky Newspapers

Lexington Herald-Leader
Offense
OE - Tom Hutchinson
OE - Steve Mellinger
OL - Sam Ball
OL - Warren Bryant
OL - Irv Goode
OL - Ray Correl
OL - Doug Mosely
QB - Babe Parilli
RB - Sonny Collins
RB - Rodger Bird
RB - Shipwreck Kelly
PK - Joe Worley
Defense
DE - Art Still
DT - Bob Gain
MG - Dave Roller
DT - Lou Michaels
DE - Jeff Van Note
LB - Joe Federspiel
LB - Jay Rhodemyer
DB - Paul Calhoun
DB - Jerry Claiborne
DB - Darryl Bishop
DB - Mike Siganos
KR - Dicky Lyons, Sr.

Louisville Courier-Journal
Offense
OE - Tom Hutchinson
OE - Steve Mellinger
OT - Sam Ball
OT - Warren Bryant
OG - Gene Donaldson
OG - Dermontti Dawson
OC - Jay Rhodemyer
QB - Babe Parilli
RB - Sonny Collins
RB - Bob Davis
RB - Mark Higgs
PK - Joe Worley
Defense
DL - Art Still
DL - Bob Gain
DL - Dave Correl
DL - Lou Michaels
DL - Jeff Van Note
LB - Joe Federspiel
LB - Jim Kovach
LB - Frank LeMaster
DB - Paul Calhoun
RB - Rodger Bird
DB - Mike Siganos
P - Ralph Kercheval

Future schedules[]

2012 schedule[]

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
September 1, 2012* at Louisville Papa John's Cardinal StadiumLouisville, KY      
September 8, 2012* Kent State Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY      
September 15, 2012* Western Kentucky Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY      
September 29, 2012 at Arkansas Razorback StadiumFayetteville, AR      
October 6, 2012 South Carolina Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY      
October 13, 2012 LSU Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY      
October 20, 2012 at Florida Ben Hill Griffin StadiumGainesville, FL      
October 27, 2012 at Mississippi State Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS      
November 3, 2012 Georgia Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY      
November 10, 2012 Vanderbilt Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY      
November 17, 2012* Samford Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY      
November 24, 2012 at Tennessee Neyland StadiumKnoxville, TN      
*Non-Conference Game. Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

References[]

External links[]

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